All hail, Sebastian Vettel

          It's official. We have a new legend. Maybe I'm jumping to a conclusion, but it will be difficult to forget a man once he has won three successive world championships. He has joined the league of Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher, whom we are not very likely to forget. Ever.
          Meet Vettel. He has survived it all at 25 - being hit by a youngster on the first corner, braved an FIA determined to stifle the making of legends and to keep the tournament competitive, worked his way up the grid, kept pressure at bay to win his maiden championship as a rank outsider... he is no kid. That was proven when, after he won his first race with Toro Rosso, he replied to a question as to whether this was the best moment of his life. I leave it to you to find out what he said.

          I consider myself lucky to have watched the final race of 2012. Newspapers call it an incident-packed race - I call it a thriller with all elements. Two contenders, home support for one's teammate, rain, accidents, a first-lap setback, safety cars, an unexpected lead for one making up the numbers, bittersweet endings. It had them all.

          The all-powerful FIA considers it its job to ensure the competetiveness of F1 and thereby ensuring that legends are not created. The Schumacher-Ferrari combination was getting too lethal for them to bear, so they changed the tyre rules to counter his mastery over them. Vettel dominated the 2011 season with the blown diffuser, which was subsequently banned. This year, the pioneer Adrian Newey, the man behind Red Bull's and Vettel's speed, introduced the double DRS. I am sure that it will be banned before long.

          But for now, Vettel is the man. Watch him as he adds to his 'youngest to...' records and sets more 'only one to...' ones.

Domestic cricket needs help

          I had gone over to the MAC stadium here on Sunday, to pop in at the Tamil Nadu - Karnataka Ranji Trophy game for a couple of hours. There were about 50-60 people there, who seemed to be spending a lazy Sunday morning rather than watching with interest. There was polite applause for every boundary (there was a six and a few fours) and some good pieces of fielding. The TN twelfth man came over and signed a few autographs for some excitable schoolkids. It seemed like the idyllic setting Ted Corbett keeps describing in his columns - chilled-out cricketers in whites, green grass, sun, quiet, animals (yes, the mandatory dog visited the stadium), it hardly seemed like the cricket-crazy nation we proudly describe ourselves as.
           The Ranji Trophy is no longer the basis of selection, or the dream of youngsters. It is a tournament played for the sake of playing. Players like Robin Bist have been excelling in it for seasons and they are not in the India squad, while it just took an IPL century for Manish Pandey to make the cut. Most don't know last season's winner and can't name six players from their state's squad, but can recite World Cup winners, runners-up and hosts from 1975 and know the India team backwards. Englishmen rooting for Somerset and Yorkshire and Australians proudly supporting Queensland and New South Wales are poles apart from us.
           The villain is the usual, the IPL. Youngsters now dream of winning the IPL with CSK or RCB or KKR after bowling four decent overs, not lifting the Ranji Trophy after sending down twenty hard-fought overs. The thought of Indians bowling to each other does not incite passions like it used to. In T20, a battle between bat and ball, a batsman and a bowler, won't last more than a few balls. (Ever heard anyone say, 'I'm going to watch MI vs KKR because I want to see Narine bowl to Sachin') I find the idea of Zaheer battling it out with Sehwag, for 10 overs more inviting.
           A group of young individuals to popularize the Ranji Trophy and draw fans to the stadium will be a great help to players, fans, India and the game.
           Happy Deepavali.

Poof!

          Poof! That was me blowing the dust off this page. I am indeed writing less and less often, and that has nothing to do with any lack of activity in the sports world. In fact, things are hotting up in various sports, from cricket to cycling to the age-old mudslinging game of Indian politicians, of whom Arvind Kejriwal is the newest.
          One long-awaited reformation which is taking place is the welcoming back of Pakistani cricketers in India. Harmless venues like my own Chennai have been nominated to host the one-day games. Choosing Mumbai or Mohali would be dangerous to all in the picture, so the decision is wise, even if not bold. This despite the fact that last year Pakistan played India in Mohali in a smooth semifinal where Misbah-ul-haq reiterated the fact that however useful he may be otherwise, he manages to goof against India.
          India and Pakistan remind me of neighbours who seldom speak or visit each other, and study the sky and floor tiles when meeting in the lift lobby.
          Even Nike has dumped Lance Armstrong after facing heaps of insurmountable evidence.
          Mark Clattenburg defeated Chelsea 3-2.
          Sachin Tendulkar received the Order of Australia.
          Big names are to use the Ranji Trophy as a warm-up to their test of character, the England series.
          Lionel Messi, as usual, looks the Ballon d'Or favourite. Some people, however talented, (think Manuel Neuer, Didier Drogba) are only making up the numbers. We all know who will win.
          This blog has missed a lot. I hope to cut the deficit next time.
          Till then.